Book Review

Mirroring People: The New Science
of How We Connect with Others
by Marco Iacoboni. Farrar, Straus
and Giroux, New York, 2008; 308 pages, ISBN 0-374-21017-9, hardcover, $25.00.

Is there a neurological basis for empathy? The
answer seems to lie in a new class of neurons discovered over the last fifteen
years by an international team of researchers.
Called mirror neurons, these brain cells activate not only when we
perform behavior but also when we observe the behavior of others, reproducing
in our brain the same neuronal firing that is required to do what we merely observe. By this means we are able to understand the
actions, intentions, words, and emotions of others by experiencing in our own
brain the stimulus required to produce these acts and intentions.

One
of the researchers, the author describes “the details of the empirical research
on mirror neurons and the implications that flow from that research” (p.
259). He discusses how these findings
impact our understanding of such various fields as language acquisition, learning, psychotherapy, autism, addiction,
violence, choice making, advertising, politics, and the development of our sense
of self. One of the strengths of the book is that he
tells us the rationale and methods of the experiments, how their results were
interpreted, and the further steps taken.
We see scientists at work dealing with findings that were often
unanticipated and surprising.
Unfortunately, many of the experiments involve animals; however this has
allowed researchers to determine how the brains of various animals are similar
to and different from each other and from that of human beings regarding this
brain system.

One
implication of these neurological findings is that human beings learn by
imitation – not only overt conscious imitation, but above all by unconscious
imitation within the brain itself: “It
seems as if our brain is built for
mirroring, and that only through mirroring – through the simulation in our
brain of the felt experience of other minds – do we deeply understand what
other people are feeling” (p. 126). Iacoboni hypothesizes that “mirror neurons in the infant
brain are formed by the interaction
between self and other” (p. 134), and findings seem to bear out his hypothesis
that our very sense of self is formed through these interactions. Of interest are the results of experiments
using mirrors to determine whether various animals can recognize themselves,
the same experiment long used on human infants.

The discovery
of this new type of brain cell has practical applications in many fields. To
cite just one: mimicking the activities of others seems crucial for social
development and learning. Those who care
for infants are constantly encouraging them to imitate by reflecting their
behavior – smiling when the baby smiles, repeating sounds, etc. – and rewarding
the baby’s imitations. In the case of
autism, there is a lack in the infant of observation of the caregiver and a
consequent lack of imitation. Scans have
shown that the parts of the brain with mirror neurons are underdeveloped in
these children. Using these findings,
therapists have had success with new strategies, as the author reports:

“During
seemingly spontaneous and playful interactions, the therapist starts to imitate
the child’s gestures, vocalizations, and actions directed at toys. Then the therapist invites the child to
imitate her own behavior. Children
exposed to this kind of treatment during naturalistic interactions show clear
benefits, and these benefits go well beyond imitation alone. . . . Other social-communicative behaviors, such as
language and pretend play, also show robust improvement. The techniques designed by [Brooke] Ingersoll
can also be taught to parents, who can use them at home while spontaneously
interacting with their kids. . . .

“These
techniques do not require any special technology and can be easily taught. They could be disseminated within the
community of parents of children with autism quite rapidly and reach a large
number of affected children. An
awareness of the relationship between mirror neurons and imitation may promise
potentially life-changing benefits for these children.” – pp. 182-3

We are
not consciously aware of this mirroring process within our brain, and the
author holds that pre-reflective activity of our brain, of which we are not
conscious, has a much greater and more profound effect on our development,
learning, actions, and choices than we perhaps would wish to believe. We like to think of ourselves as able to be
in conscious, rational control of ourselves; but this may not be as much the
case as we think. Experiments and
studies seem to indicate that when our conscious reflective verbalization or
awareness conflicts with our pre-reflective brain activity, the pre-conscious
generally determines our behavior or choice.
The relation between these two brain “modes” is complex; for instance, one
might think verbalizing our perceptions or actions would help consolidate them. The opposite is true; “studies have shown
that detailed verbal descriptions of various experiences impair memory,” a
phenomenon called “verbal overshadowing” (p. 221).

Though occasionally
slow paced, this book is a very worthwhile read, both for its clear explanation
of important new discoveries and theories and for its window into the collegial
way science today is actually practiced. – Sarah
Belle Dougherty (November 2008)